American Revolution

American Revolution refers to the political and armed conflict between 13 British colonies in North America and their parent country, Great Britain, between 1775 and 1783. The colonies formed self-governing independent states, which later united to form one nation, breaking away from the British rule in 1776 with the Declaration of Independence. The American Revolutionary War ended with American victory in October 1781, and Britain recognized the United States' independence and sovereignty in 1783. The revolution led to drafting of the Constitution of the United States in 1787 and the United States Bill of Rights in 1789, establishing a republican form of government, in which power resided with the people.

The presentation goes over the causes of the American Revolution. Study guide questions cover: Colonies in 1760, after-effects of French & Indian War, Proclamation of 1763, the Sons of Liberty, the Boston Massacre, Townshend Acts, the Stamp Act, the Boston Tea Party, the First Continental Congress, tyranny, the fighting at Lexington & Concord.

The story behind the Boston Tea Party. Before the Revolutionary War, American colonists were taxed heavily for importing tea from Britain. The colonists, not fans of 'taxation without representation', reacted by dumping tea into the Boston Harbor, a night now known as the Boston Tea Party.

The video goes over the issues and events that precipitated rebellion in Britain's American colonies, and also explores the ideas that laid the groundwork for the new American democracy. Find out how the tax bill from the Seven Years War fomented an uprising, how the Enlightenment influenced the Founding Fathers, and who were the winners and losers in this conflict.

An overview of the second Continental Congress that met in 1774 at Philadelphia after the American Revolutionary War had begun. It managed the colonial war effort, and later adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.

Video explores the roots of the American Revolution. It leads through the series of taxes, royal decrees, acts of parliament, colonial responses, and various congresses. The bill that the British ran up fighting the Seven Years War led to new taxes on colonial trade, which led to colonists demanding representation, and eventually led to the revolution.

Learn about the major battles of the war, and discuss the strategies on both sides. But what did the revolution mean to the common people in the United States? The reality is, it took a long time for this whole democracy thing to get underway, and the principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness weren't immediately available to all the newly minted Americans.

Learn about the United States Constitution. During and after the American Revolutionary War, the new country operated under the Articles of Confederation. Later when it came to running the country, the founding fathers had to create the Constitution. The video explores how the convention came together and some of the compromises that had to be made to pass the constitution.

Be part of the American drive for independence! The Continental army squares off against the loyalists, the Hessians and British regulars in this revolutionary war re-enactment, held at Cantigny park in Wheaton Ill.